


Prank and Payoff

by A_Dead_Berry



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Begrudging dickheads to lovers, Confessions, Emerald Graves (Dragon Age), F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, I don't know how to write smut yet so have a fluffy set-up chapter, Interspecies Relationship(s), Meddling, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - Guilty Pleasures, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - In Your Heart Shall Burn, Surprise Kissing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, buildup to smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28740570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Dead_Berry/pseuds/A_Dead_Berry
Summary: Cassandra was enraptured by the latest chapter of Varric's book, but it seems that it has a few pages more than he originally wrote...
Relationships: Cassandra Pentaghast/Varric Tethras
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Prank and Payoff

**Author's Note:**

> So like I said in the tags I wrote this as a buildup to something more, but I wanted to have fun and pay attention to the set-up and make the payoff that much sweeter. At present, it's unedited, so if you see typos/formatting/grammatical errors no you didn't. I am in school right now, so I'll finish it when I need a mental break lol. Comments are much appreciated!

After a long day, having just arrived in the Emerald Graves and learning of the plight of Fairbanks’ people and fighting various agitators in the region, the Inquisitor’s party (consisting of Dorian, Varric, and Cassandra) spent the evening resting around the campfire, eating, drinking, and reflecting on the day's events. Soon though, both the Inquisitor and Dorian noticed that Cassandra was quieter than usual.

“Well, I think I’m going to turn in for the night,” said Inquisitor Lavellan, yawning dramatically and stretching. “I want to be up bright and early tomorrow, and tracking down the Freemen will probably end up taking most of the day...” They nudged Dorian with their foot.

“Ah! Yes!” Dorian said, enthused. “I of course need my beauty sleep if we’re going to show those uh- bastards what-for.” He finished, awkwardly. “Goodnight to you both!” Both he and the Inquisitor headed for their shared tent.

And just like that, Varric and Cassandra were alone. Cassandra poked at the flames, refusing to look at the ever-smiling dwarf.

“So, think we’re going to get any sleep tonight over their racket?” Varric jested. Cassandra made a noise of noncommittal dismay.

“I have taken to wearing earplugs, quite frankly, I haven’t had trouble since then.” Varric snorted.

“So the ever-vigilant Seeker does take breaks from keeping watch then, huh?” He said, raising an eyebrow. Cassandra continued to play with the wood. An ember fell loose. “Cassandra, I think the fire’s okay for now.” She grunted, ignoring him. “Okay...” He sighed. “Well, I wasn’t going to bring this up, but what did you think of the latest chapter of my book?” Cassandra froze.

“It was… different from the rest, I’ll admit.” A blush started spreading across her face.

“Oh? Well, do tell, I’m eager to hear any feedback you have. It is, of course, still a work in progress.” Her blush deepened.

“I- well- uhh.” She started. “It’s um-”

“-a lot dirtier than the last of them?” Cassandra stared into the flames. He sighed. “That was somewhat my publisher’s doing. It’s already stupid, silly smut, so she figured adding even more gratuitous sex scenes would help it sell, at least.”

“I suppose that makes sense...” She said. “But I have to ask-”

“-yes?”

“That new character you introduced, that Chevalier, Lisandra? She’s not- she’s not based on me, is she?” She said, meeting Varric’s gaze and now blushing a deep pink.

“Who?” Varric asked. “Wait, hold on, let me see your copy.” Cassandra handed him the new chapter, which she had been keeping in her pack all day, devouring paragraph after paragraph at every stop they took while exploring. A chapter that had been so graciously delivered by the Inquisitor while they were last at Skyhold.

Varric flipped through the pages at a rapid pace, muttering. “This has a few more pages than I remember writing.” He stopped near the end. “Oh dear.” He then let out a string of curses under his breath. “ _Lavellan_.” he whispered, aghast.

He put the chapter aside and buried his head in his hands. He chuckled softly, and looked up at Cassandra, blushing a deeper pink than she had just a minute ago. “It would seem our dear Inquisitor has played a prank worthy of our Sera.” Cassandra just looked at him. “Well, if Sera had an unnerving knack for plagiarizing another author’s style.”

“You don’t mean-”

“-oh but I do. It seems Their Worship has decided to join the ranks of us heathens below and write some smut for a change.” He half-yelled the last part in the direction of the tents. Cassandra looked stunned.

“So you didn’t write those scenes between Chevalier Lisandra and Spymaster Derrik?”

“No.” He responded. “And if I had, I certainly would have come up with a pseudonym far more clever than ‘Derrik’.” He harrumphed. “What did that scene contain that got you so worked up, anyway?” He said, handing the manuscript back to Cassandra.

“I thought you read it?”

“Mmm. No, I thumbed through it, I can’t _really_ read that fast. My publisher would have a field day sending me notes if I did. Besides.” He propped his elbows in his lap and placed his chin on his hands, looking at Cassandra innocently. “I’d rather hear it from you.”

Cassandra gulped at this.

“Well, if you insist.” She said, clearing her throat. “Mostly it was set-up. Derrik meets Lisandra on behalf of the protagonist, trying to persuade her to clear her name and undo the wrongs of her sovereign, saying that he has brought evidence of her innocence.” She stopped, suddenly self-conscious.

“Go on, I’m listening.”

“She refuses to listen at first...”

“Mhm.”

“Because, well, he’s charming to everyone he meets. And she does not trust that.” She coughs. “Occupational hazard, I suppose.”

She snorts. “He’s also a liar, a thief, and occasionally acts like a coward.” She stops for a second, the blush returning. “But she is won over by his heart. Underneath it all, it seems, he is a kind person.” Varric blinks. “And one worthy of respect. Worthy of _my_ respect.” She finishes. The two sit in silence for a minute.

Then, Varric says, “And after that?”

“What?”

“After that, what happens? You said it was mostly set up.”

“I would prefer not to say..”

“Really? After all that, and you’re gonna leave me hanging? Come on, give it here.”

“No!” She cried, holding the manuscript in the air, out of Varric’s reach.

“Using your height against me Seeker? That’s just cruel.” He sighed. “But two can play at that game.” And with that, he leaped onto the Seeker and started climbing her like a tree.

“Varric! Stop this at once! It’s undignified!”

“Look who’s talking!” He said, slightly muffled by her hand pushing his face back. “Just hand me the falsified smut and get it over with!” She growled and threw herself to the ground.

The two tousled for a minute, one trying to get a handle on the other. Eventually, Cassandra came out on top, both of them breathing hard. She had him pinned to the ground.

Somewhere in the scuffle, the manuscript had come out of her hand, and the pages scattered around them. Varric looked up at her with his trademark smirk. “Well, I guess neither one of us is reading it again until we gather that up.” Cassandra said nothing and stared down at him intensely. He arched an eyebrow. “What?”

She leaned down, and softly, almost shyly, kissed him. She pulled back up.

“What was that for?” He spluttered.

“You idiot.” She whispered. “What did you think happened next?”

“Ah.” It was Varric’s turn to blush again. He whispered back “Alright.” Wrists still pinned, he leaned up and kissed the Seeker hard.

When he broke away, he asked, “Was that okay?”

“That was… more than alright.” She moaned. She realized she was still on top of him. “Oh! I’m sorry, do you want me to get off?”

Varric chortled. “Mmm, I think I like this position. Unless of course, you’d like to move this to the tent?”

“I- I’d like that.” She moved back, and Varric stood up, silently offering a hand. She took it, and the two headed for the tent.


End file.
